Daily Readings - Wed Jan 24 2018
2 Samuel
1After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,2he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."3Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you."4That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying:5"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?6I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling.7Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"'8"Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel.9I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.10And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning11and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. "'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you:12When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.13He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.14I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men.15But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.16Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"17Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.
Mark
1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge.2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables12so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'"13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?14The farmer sows the word.15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy.17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of divine communication. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts Nathan’s prophetic message to King David, where God reveals that He will establish David’s house, not through David building a temple, but through a lasting dynasty. This promise underscores God’s sovereign plan and trust in David’s leadership. The Gospel reading from Mark presents Jesus teaching the parable of the sower, illustrating how people receive God’s Word. Jesus explains that the seed’s growth depends on the soil’s condition, symbolizing the varying responses to His message.
The context of these readings reveals significant themes. In 2 Samuel, Nathan’s prophecy occurs after David has secured his kingdom, highlighting God’s faithfulness and the establishment of a covenant. For Mark, Jesus uses the parable to guide His disciples in understanding the spiritual receptivity of their audience, emphasizing the importance of fertile hearts.
These readings connect through the theme of divine initiative and human response. God’s promise to David and the parable of the sower both emphasize trust and receptivity. Just as David trusted God’s plan, we must cultivate hearts that receive God’s Word with openness and faith.
In our daily lives, we are called to be the good soil, nurturing God’s Word and allowing it to bear fruit. This requires us to examine our hearts, ensuring they are fertile ground for spiritual growth. The moral lesson here is the importance of faithfulness and openness to God’s message, allowing it to transform us and produce abundant fruit in our lives.